Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-11-26
THE GREAT PARIS zoo.
THEODORE STANTON TELLS or
ITS WONDERS.
The Carrier Pigeons and Their Great
Work During the Siege-The Ashantees,
Their Strange Customs and Religion
A White Blackbird.
Special Correspondence !

A White Blaekbird.
Special Correspondents.
| PARIS, Nov. Tho Paris Geological gar
den on sunny day is one Of the most at
I tractive spots in the world. But, during tho
late war with Germany, it was nearly ruined
/ Romeo, the elephant, and other valuable AMI
mails were sacrificed for food
The carrier pigeons that did such nohl,
service during the siege were mostly raised
in this establishment and those that survived
the war were kept there and most tenderly
treated. !'Many died gloriously on the field
of honor" say the records Of the society
which preserves full account of their won,
derful feats. Some of them again and agair
dared the Prussian lines, carrying those
precious microscopic dispatches photo
graphed upon pelicles of collodion-so light
! that the whole lis, 600 received during the
siege do not weigh over one gramme-a little
| over fifteen grains
Since the war, however, no efforts have
been spared to replace the animals that were
sacrificed and TO make the pleasure grounds
pretty and agreeable TO visitors As there
has been marked taste in Paris of late for
what may be styled ethnographical curiosi-
ties, the management each season provides
some fresh attraction. Natives from the
most outlandish countries under the sun have
figured one after another. with their wives
and families, their domestic animals and be
longings and acclimatized themselves for a
few weeks in the verdant inclosure set apart
for them at the upper end of the garden.
Thus the curiously inclined have been able to
see in turn Esquimaux and Lapps, AbyssIn-
ians and Nubians, Caribbean Galibis and
Omaha red Indians. Patagonians and Gin
galese, Zulus and Gauchos, and we are today
treated to troupe Of Ashantees from tb.
gold coast of Africa in ali the glory of thex
primitive deviltry and nakedness.
The great green house of these gardens 10
intended to afford suitable shelter for plants
which are too tender to endure the open air
during the colder parts of the year The
building itself, which is to the left on enter
ing, would enchant even the most indifferent
observer. II was once the property of the
Lemichez brothers, celebrated florists at Vii
liers, near Paris. at which place it was known
as the Palace of Flowers The society plIr-
chased it in 1861, and every winter since
then there has been a magnificent and IN
failing display of plants and flowers. Masses
of strong growing exotics, such as camellias,
solanums, hydrangeas, rhododendrons, aza-
leas, primroses. fuchsias, chrysanthemuns
ferns, pelarsoniums, constantly succeed each
other during the year These are merely to
delight the visitor, the great object OF the
hothocso being to nurse still more delicate
plants and experiment with them. At the
further end of this spacious greenhouse is a
beautiful grotto, where a tiny brook plays
hide S...l- ha frpnls az fh,.
maidenhair ard other lovely ferns. The re-
markable thing about this great greenhouse
Is the ever flourishing, ever perfect condition
OF its vegetation. OF course, this effect must
Ie secured by succuical hothc,,ses, not
always open to visitors. No tree, no plant,
ever appears there in a sickly condition, but
this may be said also of the animals in the
gardens
At the hack of the grotto is a large cage,
inclosing scores of diminutive birds. There
l received my first notion of the natural
brilliancy of the plumage of these birds: its
golden sheen literally dazzled the eyes. Ee-
yond these dainty little creatures is the tribe
Of mnumerable parrots and paroquets,
whose jabbering din drives me out OF the
beautiful greenhouse.
The deep lay of the hounds or the yelping Of
,hc smaller dog catches the visitors ear as soon
ss be leaves tho din of the parrU: house; so lie
directs his steps toward the dog kennels.
Among the animals classified as watch
dogs" or otherwise useful are the black
and white Newfoundland, some of large size
and fairly pure; the Pyreneean and LeonberS
mountain mastiffs, with tawny hides; and
the gaunt, iron gray boarhounds, perhaps
the most striking animals in the collection.
The monkey house is a well built, square
khaped structure, with large cage in front
and a number Of coy straw Uttered com
psrtments inside. The entrance is provided
with folding doors to prevent drauShts. The
genus Cynocephalus, or dog faced bGboon,
with the drill and mandrili, are among the
few privileged apes TO air themselves outside
in sunny weather.
Not far beyond the monkey house. oppo-
site the cranes and the turkeys, is a separate
cage wherein dwells, in solitary grandeur, a
splendid specimen of the great horn owl,
gift of the late Gustave Dore, the prolific
French artist
The sea lions pond is one of the attractions
Of the garden. 1t contains living specimens
of those remarkable animals which reached
the garden on July /, 1875, and have ever
since thrived in their watery abode to the
aaI;..t 90 ,-;.;.o-,
TSs oon.r;n,n contains fourteo, tanks
H. - 800, ors ,-,,,i1r.,,, ,ro,,, br,d j.,
the garden, goldfish, sea anemone and ami
NAL flowers, conger eels, hippocamps and
the famous octopus. At the back OF the
aquarium is an inclosure and brooklet with
monster esculent bullfrogs from Louisiana,
and samples of the blackfooted penguin from
-, an o,-o- ,tb. cro,,nas T n,,I, ;,s+onco
- a., o,a, ,h.. A TO, en-, ,ba lit az
-, -, ,ho b,,,,t;n,, Ia,,,,ar5 ;,,,,,,
Imd;n as ,,n,a aS cat. = handsome an+elone
80, a,r;na ora h;son toiIaJ decr from
.to n,,,.aror 90 Chi,a,s ,,.rt at poL;p
nc ,io h;r,,S and fo,,;s Of the air the sroc-